Gairloch by Boat – Seabird Islands and the Minch
A few hours, from Gairloch harbour and back.
The route
Two hours out of Gairloch on a small boat with a marine biologist at the wheel is a fine way to meet the wildlife of Wester Ross.
The cruise threads the seabird islands of Loch Gairloch, then heads out into the Minch with Skye on the horizon. Supper is a short walk away at the Old Inn. It suits families and anyone keen on whales and seabirds.
Before you go
Book accommodation nearby
If you are staying over: here are ours nearest where the day starts and ends.
The nearest of ours is The Net Store in Ardheslaig, 12 miles away. Sleeps 4.
Then Rhuroin, 13 miles away. Sleeps 3.
Book Gairloch Marine Life Centre & Cruises
Book Gairloch Marine Life Centre's two-hour wildlife cruise by text to 07751 992666 (phone signal is poor), from March to October at 12.30pm or 3pm: it is paid in full when booked, needs at least 6 passengers, and is refunded in full if the skipper cancels.
Book supper at The Old Inn Gairloch
Book a table for supper at The Old Inn Gairloch online or on 01445 712006; evening meals from 5pm to 8.30pm.
The day
Gairloch
An afternoon at sea among the seabird islands and out into the open Minch, then seafood and a pint of the local ale by the fire as the evening comes in.
About four hours
Gairloch Marine Life Centre & Cruises
The cruise leaves from the pontoon at Gairloch harbour, just south of the village. Follow Pier Road down to its end, where the blue and grey Wildlife Information Centre stands beside the pier. Its pages don't say where to park, so ask when you book. The two-hour wildlife survey cruise runs from March to October, at 12.30pm and 3pm, with a 10am boat from 29 May to 1 September; take the 3pm for supper after. Ian, the skipper, is a marine biologist. He takes the boat round Glas Eilean and Longa for black guillemots, shags and rock doves, then out into the Minch looking for whales, dolphins, porpoises and basking sharks, though no sighting is ever promised. It's £50 for adults and £40 for children at the time of writing, on a boat for 12. Be there 15 minutes early for the safety talk, as the boat won't wait. It can feel ten degrees colder on the water, so bring warm layers and waterproofs, and use the harbour toilets before you sail. Pets stay ashore, but Donna will look after a well-behaved dog in the centre. The boat has flat access from the pontoon; say if anyone has mobility problems, though there's no room for a wheelchair.
8 min on foot
The Old Inn Gairloch
Supper
From the pier it's an 8-minute walk to the Old Inn, a white inn that first opened its doors in the 1790s, at the foot of Flowerdale Glen, with its own free car park if you'd rather drive round. The kitchen does seafood from the local harbours, langoustines, mussels and squat lobsters among it, with homemade pasta, local game and a children's menu. Its own real ale comes from the Loch Ewe Brewery. From October 2026 it opens every day from 4pm, with evening meals from 5pm to 8.30pm, and it posts each season's hours on its page. Book a table online or on 01445 712006. Dogs are welcome in the bar, and there are dog-free rooms too.
If it rains
The boat has a warm, dry cabin if it rains, but wind and sea can stop it, and the skipper decides on the day; the Old Inn's fire is the dry end of the evening.
Photographs by Edwin Day and The Old Inn Gairloch via Google